2007

Hurricane Kyrill: effects on Europe’s forests

Brussels, 30 January 2007

Resulting wood quantities below 2007 timber harvest target  

Now that hurricane Kyrill has calmed down, the damage done to Europe’s forest has become clear: the amount of wood felled may easily be absorbed in this year’s timber harvest without exceeding the harvesting target. The windfall will not affect timber prices as the demand for wood is strong. Most of the windbreakage will have been cleared off by summer 2007 already.

54 million cubic metres of windfall

Hurricane Kyrill felled a total of  53 850 000 cubic metres of solid wood in Europe. In the individual countries, the quantities registered, depending on area and forest density, range from 12 million cubic metres in Sweden and Czech Republic to 2.5 million in Austria and 1.5 million in Poland. The windfall quantities are smaller in the Baltic states of Latvia (500 000 cubic metres) and Lithuania (300 000) as well as in Slovakia (150 000), France (120 000), Romania (130 000) and England (50 000).

In Germany, the states most strongly affected by windbreakage were North Rhine-Westphalia (12 million cubic metres), Bavaria (4 million), Lower Saxony (2 million), Hesse (2 million), Saxony-Anhalt (1 million) as well as Thuringia and Saxony (1 million each). In Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Brandenburg, the storm felled between 600 000 and 500 000 square metres of solid wood.

No influence on timber harvest quantities

Europe’s forestry industry is relieved now that the exact damage done by Kyrill has been quantified: their worst fears did not prove true. “We are glad that the windfall was smaller than we had to reckon with before the storm.”, says Mr Thomas Uher of the Management Board of Österreichische Bundesforste and President of the European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR). “Although 54 million cubic metres of solid wood is a huge amount, it is only a part of the harvest of 2007 and can easily be absorbed. Assuming that the current year removals in Europe will be on level 450 million m3, then the reported amount of windfall represent just 12% of annual harvest.”

The members of EUSTAFOR plan their timber harvests according to the principle of sustainability. This means that the amount of wood harvested in a forest in a year must not exceed the amount of newly grown wood. The harvesting targets are exceeded only in cases of emergency. However, the damage caused by Kyrill is significantly below the critical timber quantities.

The forestry enterprises immediately began to clear off the trees felled by the storm in order to prevent infestation with bark beetles. According to EUSTAFOR, a major part of the windfall will have been removed by summer.

No effects on timber market

The demand for timber continues to be high. As the amount of wind breakage is not overly high, EUSTAFOR expects prices in the timber market to remain stable. “Because of the strong demand, the timber industry is likely to absorb and process this material within a very short time.”, states Mr Uher.

Higher cost of timber harvest

Clearing off the felled trees within short time is a challenge that the forestry enterprises have to meet in the next few months. According to Mr Uher of EUSTAFOR, this is the only effect of the windfall that is actually relevant. “We know that it is more difficult to harvest storm-felled wood. Therefore we expect slightly higher harvesting costs for timber producers in this year. This is the most significant effect that Kyrill has had on the forestry.”

For more information, contact:

Mr. Erik Kosenkranius

executive director

European State Forest Association

Address:

Rue du Luxembourg 66

Bruxelles 1000

E-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel. +32 49570 4559

In order to work together more efficiently for the interests and maintenance of Europe as a continent of natural importance, the Austrian, Finnish, French and Latvian state forest organisations have founded the “European State Forest Association” – EUSTAFOR for short. EUSTAFOR is designed to be the voice of the Europeans state forests within the EU and as a powerful lobbying organisation with its headquarters in Brussels, will speak up for the interests of Europe’s state forests. It will also collaborate with other international interest groups such as the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF). Today EUSTAFOR are 21 members from European countries.

The  Chairman of the Board “Latvijas valsts meži” Roberts Strīpnieks is a member of the EUSTAFOR Executive Committee.